4 ms·

Leading workshops in USA and Europe has been pretty eyeopening. Americans: “I’m so and so from $employer where I do software engineering in the foobles depart

by Swizec 4y ago

Leading workshops in USA and Europe has been pretty eyeopening. Americans: “I’m so and so from $employer where I do software engineering in the foobles department” Europeans: “I’m so and so from $city where I live with 3 kids and enjoy basket weaving. For work I build foobles” You have to explicitly ask Europeans about their employers whereas Americans seem to get completely consumed by their company so much they lose all other identity.

HarryHirsch 4y ago
It's a puzzling observation, isn't it? By now, every at-will US employee will have internalized that they are disposable, and yet they continue to identify as a member of $COMPANY family. It's just bizarre, and I just can't think of an explanation.
- jacooper 4y ago
  Prestige?
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- dontupvoteme 4y ago
  Combination of an inherited Anglo class system and American corporatism.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
myself248 4y ago
I noticed this at 2600 meetings: "I'm so-and-so, I hack on $technology and I like to teach $interest", and some would mention their employer as an aside, but some wouldn't. Whereas at tech-bro meetups: "I'm so-and-so, I work for $employer in the $technology group".
- cscurmudgeon 4y ago
  Gotta love the snide overgeneralization implying Americans are techbros.
oceanplexian 4y ago
Part of me understands that people have lives and don’t identify with work. But if that’s you, what are you doing with your life exactly? You only have so many years to live. Most of your waking hours are spent working. If why you’re doing for work isn’t also your passion, it might be time to reconsider what you are doing.
- oblio 4y ago
  > if you are putting on one face for your personal life and another for work, something is wrong. Yet that's what most people do.
cscurmudgeon 4y ago
If the workshops are professional workshops, the American response seems more natural and appropriate. Honestly, I would be weirded out if people start rambling about their kids and hobbies at a tech conference.
- Swizec 4y ago
  They were professional workshops. Your employer and your kids are equally irrelevant to the conversation.
  - cscurmudgeon 4y ago
    I disagree. Not equally irrelevant. Your employer is connected to your profession, your hobbies/kids are not. I attend a ton of AI/ML conferences (which count as professional conferences) all over the world. On almost all badges and tags, under your name you have your affiliation (company or university). You don't have number of kids or your random hobby on your badge for a reason. See here for a list of badges (not my site): https://data-mining.philippe-fournier-viger.com/conference-badges-the-best-and-the-worst/ https://data-mining.philippe-fournier-viger.com/conference-b...

by Swizec 4y ago

HarryHirsch 4y ago

It's a puzzling observation, isn't it? By now, every at-will US employee will have internalized that they are disposable, and yet they continue to identify as a member of $COMPANY family. It's just bizarre, and I just can't think of an explanation.

jacooper 4y ago
Prestige?
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
dontupvoteme 4y ago
Combination of an inherited Anglo class system and American corporatism.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]

myself248 4y ago

I noticed this at 2600 meetings: "I'm so-and-so, I hack on $technology and I like to teach $interest", and some would mention their employer as an aside, but some wouldn't. Whereas at tech-bro meetups: "I'm so-and-so, I work for $employer in the $technology group".

cscurmudgeon 4y ago
Gotta love the snide overgeneralization implying Americans are techbros.

oceanplexian 4y ago

Part of me understands that people have lives and don’t identify with work. But if that’s you, what are you doing with your life exactly? You only have so many years to live. Most of your waking hours are spent working. If why you’re doing for work isn’t also your passion, it might be time to reconsider what you are doing.

oblio 4y ago
> if you are putting on one face for your personal life and another for work, something is wrong. Yet that's what most people do.

cscurmudgeon 4y ago

If the workshops are professional workshops, the American response seems more natural and appropriate. Honestly, I would be weirded out if people start rambling about their kids and hobbies at a tech conference.

Swizec 4y ago
They were professional workshops. Your employer and your kids are equally irrelevant to the conversation.
- cscurmudgeon 4y ago
  I disagree. Not equally irrelevant. Your employer is connected to your profession, your hobbies/kids are not. I attend a ton of AI/ML conferences (which count as professional conferences) all over the world. On almost all badges and tags, under your name you have your affiliation (company or university). You don't have number of kids or your random hobby on your badge for a reason. See here for a list of badges (not my site): https://data-mining.philippe-fournier-viger.com/conference-badges-the-best-and-the-worst/ https://data-mining.philippe-fournier-viger.com/conference-b...